Salomon XADV 8 ski boots- Reviewed

Salomon ADV 8 boot

2015 most recent report on the XADV 8
Earlier post about the ADV 8

I have finally had an opportunity to put the Salomon ADV 8 boot through the paces and here is what i have to say:
 1. these boots are great on the kick and glide
 2. these boots are comfortable
 3. the integrated gator is great
 4. there is increased ( from the Greenland)  rigidity in                  the  sole
 5. The zipper is the weak area. Mine has already blown 
     out ( used 4 times). It has blown out from the bottom
     up..which basically makes it a snow scoop.
     (note: Salomon was great about this, replacing the boots at
     no cost. The replacement boots have held up fine)
6. The quick lace thingy is great..really tightens down 
     well and releases well. 
  7. the laces  don't go up all the way..this is comfortable, 
      but does not let you press the cuff to assist with 
      Turning.
  8. The plastic cuff is not appreciably more supportive 
       than the old Greenland

Salomon Raid Bindings

2014 update:  

I have not had an opportunity to ski these this year because I blew out my knee.  I have really put these guys through the paces in the past though.  I think these are great boots to use as an out your back door XCD boot.  

see here for the type of skiing I am doing in these boots : Fun Til Death on Skis!

                                                                

                                                                                      More Fun Til Death on skis: with Video

                                                                                      Michigan backcountry XCD stick whips and all

frustration at checker mountain or off piste and pissed off

I was experimenting with wedging the camera between my face and the helmet strap. Here are two views of the same run. One with a crash....and one with out.  This is the first Glade on the South East nose of Checker. Looking at the topo, it is obvious that Mount Checker is not a stand alone formation but part of the long landform that forms a nice ring of hills along the outer edge of plains in the  Kalamazoo Valley.  Parchments hills are also part of this, and if I was skiing better i would want to go over there and explore. An urban assault would probably be excellent, going down those hills- the linked front yards, the linking of turns and dodging of chain link. Trespassing, beauty and danger, what more could you ask for really.

This was just one of many crashes. The run before the crash is pretty nice and certainly gives a different view of essentially the same run as the depicted in the first video. Further up this hill is the eastern summit of Checker.This has some great runs down the North side- steep and open. I crashed on every attempt.  the slope became crisscrossed with climbing tracks rather than being branded with  S and 8.

After this, I attempted to charge back up to give it another go.  I had been having difficulty climbing all afternoon ( improperly waxed ) and ended up sliding backwards, riding a tree, falling down, having my right leg get caught up and as i fall....the tree progressively wedges its self between boot and ski ( so much for the advantage of free heal) and hoisted into the air.  Hoisted on the yard arm of a lower slope of Checker Mountain. The result was bad enough that peter dropped off a beer for me later that night.

Thanks dude.